


The Dance

by BeachCat0772



Category: Gallagher Girls Series - Ally Carter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25820884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeachCat0772/pseuds/BeachCat0772
Summary: Rachel's perspective on Roseville's Fall Harvest Dance.  How much did she really know about Cam's extracurricular activities?   Will Joe be able to stop her from acting rashly?
Kudos: 6





	The Dance

**Author's Note:**

> All rights belong to Ally Carter. I'm only borrowing these characters and locations.
> 
> My first fic for this fandom. Let me know what you think! Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

_Saturday, November 19 th. 17:00_

"Ms. Morgan your thoughts?" Madam Dabney asked, daintily placing her napkin into her lap. I blinked and studied her for a beat before answering.

"The risk versus reward analysis greatly favors risk, in my opinion." I answered. The response seemed to mollify Madam Dabney who smiled knowingly at Dr. Fib before chittering on about some inane request I'd probably approved earlier in the day. My gaze traveled around the great hall again, taking in the bustle of dinner time at the Gallagher Academy, before settling on my daughter again. Elizabeth Sutton bounded into the hall and I immediately tensed, ready to provide first aid in the very likely event she tripped and knocked her head into a table. That girl may have an IQ to rival Albert Einstein but she'd be dead before the age of 20 if she didn't manage to grow out of this uncoordinated phase of puberty. Thankfully, she arrived at her destination unscathed. She plopped a stack of books on the table next to Cammie who startled at the intrusion. I saw Liz wince before bending down to pick up a stray volume that most likely had landed on her foot. She dropped the text onto her stack and slid onto the bench next to Cammie. 

I carefully took a bite of my meal, making a show of the gesture. I collected my dishes and politely excused myself. I needed to be somewhere quiet, somewhere I could collect my thoughts which whirled about my consciousness like a debris in a hurricane. I went to the closest, quiet place I could think of in that moment. 

The fires in the library were lit and cast a warm glow around the cavernous room. I ambled to the grand staircase that led to the second-floor balcony. I ran my hand along the smooth bookshelves and my hand stopped on Harmonium by Wallace Stevens. Who am I to question fate? I plucked the book from the shelf and curled into one of my favorite chairs. I had an excellent vantage point of the library entrance but was ensconced in enough shadows to silently observe everything. More than once I'd caught students planning dangerous experiments for Dr. Fib's class or working on illicit network intrusion programs for Harvey from this exact location. I'd manage to take in one of Mr. Steven's sonnets when voices filtered up to me from the main floor. Joe's hands were stuffed into his pockets and his shoulders were hunched in a slightly awkward manner. Almost as if he were nervous. I unfolded myself from the chair and lunged for the balcony railing to get a better view of the conversation's second participant. A smile spread across my face. Placating laughter met my ears and I had to bite my lip to stop my own amusement from betraying me. I decided to rescue my daughter from herself.

"Hey kiddo. Were you looking for me?" I called down from the top of the staircase. Cammie's head whipped around, tracking my voice and her eyes scanned me as I descended from the balcony. Joe's eyes also met mine. He gave me a sad smile and muted sigh. "I was just coming to find you."

"You were?" Cammie asked, almost breathlessly. I set down my sonnets and turned my gaze back Joe, excusing him.

"I'll leave you two girls alone." Joe said quietly. I gave him gracious smile as he left. I guided Cammie out into the hallway past the Great Hall, looping my arm in hers. 

"I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?" I ventured. Cammie's eyebrows went so high I thought they might take flight from her face. "Or not. I just thought you may want to go into town or something."

"I'm pretty tired." Cammie answered. Her eyes shifted between mine.

"Something low-key, then," I suggested. "Maybe a movie?"

"I…" Cammie began to stutter. "I…see, I've got.."

"Cammie promised to help me with my organic chemistry paper." Macey McHenry called skipping up to Cammie. My daughter turned to face Macey with a relieved look but the expression was gone when she turned back to me.

"Oh." I managed after the fraction of beat I took to recover myself. "Okay. I just didn't want you to be alone tonight."

Macey melted away. Thank goodness for small favors. That girl concerned me for a number of reasons none of which had to do with her bad girl persona or the remarkable number of rumors about her permeating the walls of my school. 

"I know it hasn't been easy," I said watching Macey McHenry trot down the hallway. "With her, but I'm proud of you, kiddo."

I wrapped my arms around Cammie and held on. I never wanted to let her go but I knew someday soon I would have to do just that. Life was cruel. I held on as long as she let me but all too soon, she did pull away.

"Supper?" She asked in a small voice. "Tomorrow night?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." I nodded. I reached for a stray hair obscuring Cammie's face and tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes lingered on me for another second before she scuttled back down the hall the way we'd come. My eyes followed her until she disappeared around the corner. I leaned against the wall for support and gathered myself. That was hard, seeing Cammie's confusion, her lack of knowledge of the date. She'd started to move on. I couldn't blame her. I willed myself not to hold her progress against her. Since we'd started at the academy, we'd do something to commemorate Matthew's birthday. The festivities usually resulted in Cammie falling asleep in my arms. Ironically, that is some of the best sleep I get during the year. I hold her tight, basking in the warmness of her presence in my arms. She is happy for the most part, healthy and above all, safe. Everything about her reminds me of Matthew. Her quiet, unassuming confidence, her inquisitive eyes, and most of all, her tenacious spirit.

I straightened my body and clothes before setting off for my office. No work for me tonight, I decided as strode past the Great Hall. I'd stay in my office and lock the door. I was steps away from the Hall of History when my plans were foiled.

"Hey." Joe Solomon said huskily. 

"Hello." I answered. I turned to face him wanting to end the conversation quickly. He frowned slightly.

"Where's Cammie?"

"Helping Macy with a paper for Dr. Fib."

"The paper that was due on Friday?" Joe folded his arms casually in front of his chest.

I didn't answer. I was off my game and he knew it. He probably knew why too.

"Odd." Joe smiled slyly.

"What?" I snapped.

"Oh nothing." Joe said quickly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Just a pet theory I've been working on."

"Tell me."

"I believe showing would provide a much clearer picture than I could ever hope to paint with words." Joe didn't meet my eyes. I chased his gaze.

"Mr. Solomon," I prodded.

"Humor me, Headmistress. Please?" Joe pleaded, dipping his head in a short bow. I didn't object right away, so he consulted his watch "Meet you in the front hall, say 18:15? "

"Where are we going?" I called as he started to walk away from me. He flipped back toward me and strode backwards as he answered.

"That would spoil everything, now wouldn't it?” Joe smiled, coyly. “Dress for a party."

At 18:14, I left my office. I was wearing a black cocktail dress that I had dug out of my closet and my emergency pair of Jimmy Choo’s. My makeup was minimal but complementary and my hair was loose, laying over one shoulder. Not bad for half an hour's notice. I exited the Hall of History and started down the staircase. That was when I knew for a fact that men were jerks. 

Joseph Solomon slouched against the right-hand wall of the entrance hall quietly observing the few girls exiting the dining hall. I knew the exact moment he saw me. His breath caught and his eyes widened enough to give him away before he collected himself. I forced a smile, knowing full well the gesture didn't reach my eyes. I took in his appearance during my descent. His hair was definitely wet. His khaki pants and navy blazer had a crumpled chic looked to them. I knew for sure that he had worn both pieces during the week, which meant he'd most likely plucked them from his laundry basket after he jumped out of the shower. He probably had taken a grand total of 15 minutes to get ready and I needed every bit of 29 minutes. Life was so unfair sometimes.

"You look great." Joe said quietly. He held out his arm bent at the elbow; a small, hopeful smile tugged at his lips. I softened my features and smiled gently at him. I didn't fool Joe but I probably I fooled the few students that were watching us. 

"Thank you." I nearly whispered. I couldn't stop the slight blush creeping into my cheeks.

"Have you ever heard of Roseville's Fall Harvest Dance?" Joe announced, opening the front door for me.

"Yes, why?" I watched him with renewed intrigue. Joe never did things on a whim. He'd clearly been planning this.

"I have reason to believe a few students have gone above and beyond by creating an extra credit project for their covert operations class." He explained as he opened the door to a waiting town car from the academy motor pool. I climbed into the car and smoothed my dress on reflex. Joe settled into the driver's seat and started the car. We both checked every mirror and scanned the grounds before Joe put the car into gear.

"How so?" I prompted him.

"I, and it pains me to admit this, cannot tell you how they managed to pull this off." Joe looked sideways at me as if to gauge my response. I waited. He did not disappoint. "A credible source indicates that one of our sophomore students has been running her own operation in Roseville. Rumor has it that she has enlisted a few fellow students to help cover her tracks."

"A credible source?" I pressed, dreading the answer. Joe was dreading it too judging by the mild sour expression on his face.

"A member of the security team, who shall remain nameless," Joe clarified upon seeing my undisguised expression. "Found footage of a student leaving campus last weekend and, judging by the location of the camera, I would wager she did not have permission for this particular excursion."

I took measured breaths. I was angry. I was seething, actually, but I had long ago learned to reign in my volatile temper. When I did finally manage words there was no mistaking the contempt behind them.

"And why, pray tell, was this information not disclosed to me immediately upon discovery?"

"I may have given the security team the impression I was on my way to do just that." Joe glanced at me sideways again. Probably trying to decide if throwing himself from a moving car was less of a threat to his safety than I was at the moment. The moving car won, but only just edging me out. I took another breath, reigning myself in again.

"Mr. Solomon. You have exactly," I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "2.5 minutes to explain to me why I shouldn't fire you on the spot for endangering the lives of my students."

"You recruited me and if you thought for a second that I couldn't be trusted with the lives your students I wouldn't have gotten anywhere near that building."

He had me. I know he'd made a promise to Matthew and I knew he took that promise very seriously. Which further proves just how far off my game I really was. He pushed on.

"I wanted to do some digging on my own to figure out how far this had gotten before I confronted the culprit."

"I." I corrected him. "Before I confronted the culprit."

"Right."

"You were planning on telling me?"

"Yes, absolutely." He nodded a little too enthusiastically for my liking.

"So how do we contain this?"

"I'm not sure." He answered putting the car into park. We exited car and I immediately began to regret my choice in shoes. Joe gave me a tentative smile and offered me his arm. I smiled demurely back to him, accepting his offer. I don't think he was fooled by my act for a second but, as far as the townsfolk were concerned, we were two consenting adults on a date. Joe produced his wallet when we arrived at the folding table. I scanned the crowd while he paid the entry fee. No one jumped out at me as out of place but then again, I wasn't exactly in top form. Joe held his hand out in front of us and I grasped the offering with another demure smile. He led me to the dance floor, scanning the room as we strode through the small crowd. He looked back down at me like the cat who'd ate the canary.

"Target in sight. My eight o'clock." He whispered to me. That was when I realized I didn't know which student was our target. I knew the target was a sophomore but that was the only detail I had. Rookie move, Rachel. You haven't made that kind of mistake since eighth grade. Many people wondered why I chose to leave the company. This sobering experience only served to confirm that my inactivation was the best decision for me and Cammie. I’d lost my edge. Good operatives had lost their lives as a result of lesser mistakes. Joe spun me slowly, allowing me to spot our target and time slowed to a trickle. My eyes fell on a miniature version of myself. I laughed. That was the only thing I could do without blowing our cover or my composure which was hanging on by a thread. I laughed. Joe spun me again causing my hair and dress to rise momentarily. He pulled me into his arms and whispered into my ear. 

"I think we've been made."

I looked up to see Cammie just about having a heart attack. A mischievous grin was spreading across Joe's face when I turned back to him. We locked eyes for a fraction of a second before he started swearing under his breath.

"What?" I pressed him quietly.

"She's gone." He whispered to me.

"WHAT?" I hissed holding myself steady by the remaining shreds of self-control. I had half a mind to tear out of that barn right then and scour the area for Cammie so I could drag her back to Gallagher Hall. Joe’s smile seemed forced for a second before the playful grin returned to his face. He tightened his grip on me, holding me in place.

“Check out the loft." He chuckled. We drifted slowing in a circle, him positioning me into the best vantage point. 

"What am I looking for?" I grumbled impatiently.

"Wait for it." He ordered. Then I saw it. The glint of eyeballs peeking out of the shadows of loft. I blinked a few times to confirm what I was seeing.

"Oh, good lord." I breathed. The music changed and Joe pulled me into his body. I dropped my head onto his shoulder in defeat.

"How many of them do you think there are?" Joe asked swaying in time to the music. I followed his lead.

"Four, including Cammie." I answered confidently. Joe, wisely, waited for me to explain my conclusions. "McHenry is the look out, Baxter is on repel and Sutton on belay."

"They’re probably outside by now." Joe whispered into my hair.

"Yes, they are." I agreed.

"Shall we depart?" Joe murmured. 

I nodded into his shoulder. We separated, holding hands as we exited the barn. I had my head on a swivel, looking for my students. Joe quietly took my elbow and escorted me to the town car. He didn’t release his grip until I was settled into the front seat, determined to steady myself before Joe joined me in the car. A thought occurred to me during the quiet ride back home and I began to dig around my purse. I got so agitated I nearly dumped the contents on my lap. After a full minute searching, I came up for air with a small electric chip between my fingers.

“I was tagged.” I whispered, mortification coloring my tone. Joe risked a side eye look at me.

“Clever.” Joe mumbled, staring straight ahead. “Raw and undisciplined. But clever.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Cammie first showed up on the security feeds 57 days ago.” Joe answered, not making eye contact.

“How many times?”

“5.”

“Looks like I’m going to have to recycle some security staff.” I growled as we checked in with the guard at the gate. He wisely didn’t make eye contact with me, neither did Joe. Joe parked the car and locked the doors to the town car as I reached for the handle.

“May I suggest an option that doesn’t involve a public spectacle?” Joe pushed gently. I stared at him.

“If the suggestion involves letting my daughter continue to break the rules, the answer is no.”

“But Rachel,”

“Joe.”

“Rachel.” Joe plead. “I know you’re angry but you may want to consider keeping this need to know for now. We don’t know the extent of this breach.”

“What breach? She snuck out to see a boy!” I snapped. “Thank you for looping me in but I will handle this.”

“Will Langley see it that way?” Joe countered gently. That thought cools my heels instantly. I bit my lip. He continued. “We have only confirmed what we already knew. We need let this play out, to keep tabs on Cammie and her accomplices so we can determine the best containment strategy.”

“Why not just ask Cammie?” I shot back. “We can wrap this up by noon tomorrow at the latest.”

“Because she’s been so forthcoming about this up until now?” 

“Cammie doesn’t lie to me.”

“A lie of omission is still a lie, Rachel. You of all people should know that.” Joe warned me. I looked away from Joe, trying to see the chess board in my mind. My emotions were wreaking havoc on me and I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t see a way out.

“Alright.” I conceded turning back to him.

“Don’t make a decision tonight.” Joe said, reading me like an open book. “Don’t do anything tonight. Just sleep on it and get your head back on straight. Let me know your decision and I’ll follow your lead.”

I sniffed and nodded. I wasn’t in a state to make any kind of decision tonight. I needed time and most importantly I need space to sort myself out.

“I’m sorry.” Joe whispered. He seemed like he wanted to reach out to me, to give some kind of reassuring gesture but he wasn’t sure how the gesture would be received. His code name wasn’t Wise Guy for nothing. He held back and lucky for him because I’m pretty sure I would have inflicted some kind of damage to him. I wasn’t in the mood for reassuring gestures. 

I stared straight ahead for a minute, calming myself. I probably wouldn’t meet many people in the entrance hall or on the path to my office, but a Gallagher Girl could never be too careful. My eyes were fixed on the hood of the town car as I absentmindedly raked my fingers through my hair. The locks click so I reached for the handle to let myself out. I navigated back to my office on autopilot, abandoning Joe Solomon in the Entrance Hall. Once the door to my office was closed and secured, I collapsed into my desk chair, scrubbing my face with my hands. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall at a moments notice. I had nothing left within me to stop them. I propped my elbows on my desk and dropped my face into my hands. 

Then I cried. I let loose with great hiccuping sobs, allowing the salty moisture coat my face. Inelegant, but cathartic nonetheless. I envisioned the tears as emotions that were finally unleashed. Anger, grief, confusion, hurt, all of those pent-up feelings washed away with my tears. I quieted myself and reached for the tissue box behind me without looking. I wiped my face but tears still fell. I reluctantly realized Joe was right. He could see this moment was coming sure as the rising sun. He only wanted what was best for Cammie and me; to do right by Matthew and keep us safe. I rose from my chair with a new resolve until total exhaustion swept over me. I staggered as I stepped away from my desk and steadied myself on the bookshelf. I would do what Joe suggested. The morning would bring answers. For now, I would sleep.


End file.
